20
Jap Lover
Billy Martens
Billy made his way off the Ridge after the battle along with what was left of Platoon X-Ray—seven men instead of twelve. Hot Kiss had picked up malaria and was shipped off to sickbay, so that made them a half-dozen even. Billy was so tired he didn’t care if a croc was lurking underwater to snag a Jap or US meal—he felt dirty, so he stripped and swam where a freshwater creek emptied into the sea. Then he crawled back to the hole by the coastline he shared with Johnny Strange and fell asleep. Johnny was already snoring in his blankets beside the foxhole with a sound like a whistling bomb, arms wrapped around his BAR as if it were his girlfriend back in the States. The snoring didn’t bother Billy at all. But the other noises at night did.
First there was Louie t
